Metro Station
by offtheupright
Summary: Judy and Nick reflect on a night well spent. Oneshot.


The platform was deserted. Both sides, from hazard strip to hazard strip. The only noises came from the distance and the ceaseless whirr of the escalator, and then from two sets of feet as they stepped off the bottom.

Wordlessly they crept along the platform edge, mirthing at the alien calm around them and wondering to themselves if it could possibly be real. The oasis of peace, the one spot in this mammoth city of towering spires and burning lights, was a dirty Metro station with flickering strip lights and outdated advertisements.

The duo peeled away from one another. The smaller of the two, a rabbit with a stained shirt and sagging ears, skulked her way over to an excuse for a seat and clambered onto it, slumping her back against the wall with a yawn. The other, a fox, moved in the opposite direction. He stared up at the timing board, but his eyes narrowed to a frown when he saw the empty screen. He crept his way to the edge of the platform and peered down the line, trying in vain to penetrate the distant gloom.

"Hellooooooo?" he called down the rails in an exaggerated voice, "Mister train, where are yooou? We need a ride so we can get hooome!"

His act drew a laugh out of the rabbit.

"Get away from there, Nick," she said, slapping the seat next to her, "If you end up getting decapitated by a passing train it'll be your own fault."

"And you don't want that?"

She frowned at him. "Why would I want that?"

He shrugged. "Because then you can blame me for things going wrong again."

She rolled her eyes as he sauntered over and sat down beside her.

"You really want to do this here? Just after an amazing night?"

"Ah, chill out, Carrots. I'm just messing with you."

"I know. Doesn't make you any less irritating, though."

"Hence why I asked if you would enjoy watching me get decapitated due to my own negligence."

She smirked. "You have a really weird sense of humour, you know that?"

"I've been living alone the last decade. You get used to thinking out loud and making light of dark subjects."

"Nah, I think it's 'cause you're messed up in the head."

He laughed. "Touché."

Hush descended again. Nick turned his head along the walls, leaning and sitting back in search of the best viewpoint, but his partner only relaxed further into the cold tile.

"What are you doing?" she asked eventually.

"Looking for a timetable. There's nothing on the board, so I'd like to see if there's a train due before we end up camping out here all night."

"Don't worry. If there wasn't anything on schedule they wouldn't have let us through the barriers. Besides, it's Saturday night – everything keeps going longer on a Saturday."

"Unlike you, by the looks of things," Nick said, nodding at her slumped figure. "Is the little bunny tired?" he added in a cutesy, wheedling voice.

"Yes I am, actually. Turns out when you get up at 6am, do a day's shift and then stay out until two in the morning you finish the day struggling to stay awake."

"Well there's your problem: you work too hard."

"I'm surprised you know what hard work looks like."

Nick recoiled in mock offence. "Are you implying I give anything less than maximum effort when on duty?"

"No, you give maximum effort to protecting the city. It's just you also give maximum effort to drinking coffee."

"Problem? I pour my heart and soul into everything I do. It's just who I am."

"Oh, I and everyone else in the ZPD are well aware of what you are, Nick."

The duo laughed to themselves as a train screamed its way to a stop on the opposite platform. The doors beeped and slid open, but no one got off or on. With a huff the doors closed and the train stormed off, hurtling towards the gleaming leaves of the Palm Hotel & Casino, its lattice metalwork glowing shades of yellow and orange and green every few seconds. They admired its serene quality, and smirked at its stark contrast to the neighbouring train station desperately trying to stay fully lit.

"I assume then," Nick said, "That they're all aware that Officer Nicholas Wilde is a kind-hearted, supportive friend who not only managed to find tickets to Gazelle's concert that Officer Judy Hopps, the partner he holds unwavering loyalty towards, craved so dearly, but also accompanied her to said concert and bought her plenty of drinks to ensure she didn't get dehydrated in the Sahara heat?"

"Yes they are. They thought it was a lovely gesture, and so do I. Thanks again for coming out with me, I really, really enjoyed your company."

She gave his arm a comforting pat, but when she went in for another she tensed her finger to turn it into a poke.

"Though let's face it, the 'drinks' side of things was very much for your benefit."

"I was at a Gazelle concert. _A Gazelle concert_. I had to make it worth my while somehow."

"Ah, so you're admitting it. All of that 'the crowds will be mega at the station, let's wait for it to die down' and 'the night is young, let's soak up the atmosphere' was just an excuse to crawl inside a beer bottle?"

"In my defence I'd only intended to stay for one drink, but someone got a bit more into it than I thought."

He looked at her with devious eyebrows. She turned away, but not before he'd glimpsed the growing blush on her cheeks.

"Don't be embarrassed," he laughed, "For what it's worth, your antics in the bar had me in stitches."

"So did your dancing at the concert."

Her head jerked back around and caught him with a blush of his own swelling on his face. They stared at one another in complete silence for a few moments, then burst out laughing. Heaving giggles and rocking in their seats until their faces were as red and bright as the sea of lights around them.

"You thought I didn't notice?" Judy wheezed, "You looked like an old man trying to prove he's still got it. I only wish I'd filmed it."

"Funnily enough so did you when you jumped up on that table and started belting out 'Try Everything' at the top of your lungs. I too only wish I'd filmed it."

He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a carrot pen. He hit a button on its side and a tinny, screechy version of Judy's voice screaming barely-coherent lyrics played back.

"Oh, would you believe it? I did!"

Judy's eyes shrunk. She lunged forward to swipe the pen from his paws, but he held it out of her reach.

"Relax, Carrots, I'll delete it."

He hit another button on the pen, and re-pressed the original button to prove he'd done as he said. Sure enough no noise came out. Crisis over, Judy slumped back against the wall.

"Did that wake you up?" he smirked.

"A little," she replied, panting as her pulse returned to normal, "I'm just surprised you didn't try to blackmail me with it. Someone going soft?"

"Nah, I just wanted to see your face when you realised I had it on tape. Now that I've had my fun I'm content to let it be history."

Moment of panic over, Judy settled again, and with her emotions having stretched and slackened her eyelids began to flicker.

"So you're going to fall asleep after all?" Nick asked.

Judy yawned. "Possibly. I'm sorry in advance if I end up using you as a pillow."

"No worries. Anything to help out a friend."

Judy's head tilted to one side, and Nick dropped his arm for her to rest on it, but she stopped short.

"If I fall asleep on you you'll take a picture of it and share it around the squad, won't you?"

Nick raised his other arm, revealing his phone clasped in his paw. "You know me too well."

Judy sat up again. "I'm tired, but I'm not stupid. I can hang on until we get home."

Nick nodded to the empty station. "Assuming we do."

"There you go worrying again. Didn't you see that train go past? It'll be here eventually, whenever that may be. Besides, there are worse places in the city to be stranded."

Nick opened his mouth to question what she meant, but the words were stopped as the Palm changed colour. Nothing remarkable, just a shift to a palette of warm yellows and oranges, but as his eyes lowered back to the station he saw and felt everything. Saw the warm, bright lights all around him; felt the gentle caress of the desert heat on his neck. Saw the smiling faces on the advertisements; felt the sturdy embrace of the buildings and structures supporting where he sat. Saw the happy, smiling bunny occupying the seat next to him; felt the contact of her body against his in the cramped seat. His pursed lips sunk back into a contented smile, and he let the silence be.

It only lasted a few moments before the squeal of rust on rust announced the arrival of a train. Judy nudged Nick in the ribs.

"See? Told you."

"Congratulations," Nick nodded, "You were right and I was wrong. Now you only need to pull it off five million more times to catch up to me."

Judy gave him another nudge before standing up. Nick quickly followed suit, and together they stood as the train shuddered to a halt and opened its doors.

"Oh, Nick?"

The fox's raised foot stopped instantly. "Yeah?"

"All jokes aside, I just want to say thank you for coming out with me tonight. I had an amazing time, and I couldn't have done so without you."

She shot a nervous smile at him, and it brought out the same on his lips.

"Me too, Carrots. Thanks for having me along – it wouldn't have been nearly as fun without you."

A warning trill from the doors jabbed them in the spine, demanding they cut the sentiment and climb aboard. Laughing to themselves, they stepped into the sodium glare of the train's interior lighting, bathing them both in an angelic haze.

* * *

 **Firstly, Happy New Year! :)  
**

 **Secondly, this is something I've had lying around for a while and haven't really known what to do with, so I figured I might as well put it up. I feel it lacks significant substance, but if you've been following my work at all I guess that's my style. I don't have the time nor the willpower to write extensive, detailed fanfic projects. I prefer to deal with oneshot slice-of-life stuff, because it's quick and fun, though I'm the first to admit it can also be limiting. I am thinking of delving into something with a bit more meat in the future, but that's still some way off. This is a nice stopgap, I think.**

 **I guess this is just a character study in Nicholas and Judith. Not a lot of substance storywise but a hell of a lot of meaning to it. Make of it what you will. :)**


End file.
